Do the Scriptures Authorize Multiple Cups?

Sincere though these people are, their approach to the Scriptures in this regard is flawed.

When the New Testament speaks of the cup in observing communion, it is not the literal container that is being referred to. Instead, it is the contents (i.e., the fruit of the vine) that are emphasized. This is clear from the following factors.

The Cup: A Figure of Speech

There is a common figure of speech in the Bible called metonymy. The term means "a change in name." This figure is used when one thing represents another. One type of metonymy occurs when a container stands in for its contents. This means that although the container is mentioned, only the contents are actually being considered.

For example, the Scriptures affirm that Noah prepared an ark "to the saving of his house" (Hebrews 11:7). In this case, the container, a "house," represents the family that dwelt within it.

In another well-known passage, Jesus affirmed that God "so loved the world" that he gave his Son for it (Jn. 3:16). It is not the material globe that is in view. It's the people of the earth who are the object of divine love. This is metonymy.

There is clear evidence that this is the kind of usage associated with the communion cup. Note the synonymous terms set forth in the following passage:

"And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins. But I say unto you, I shall not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:27-29).

It is quite obvious that the fruit of the vine is this, which is the it, which, in fact, is the cup. Underline these various terms, and the connection between them will be quite apparent.

The Cup: To be Divided

That the cup is not the container is even more vividly depicted in Luke's record. He states that Jesus "received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves" (Luke 22:17). The Greek word for "divide" is diamerizo, which means to "divide up" or to "separate into parts" (cf. Matthew 27:35).

Were the disciples to divide a container? Of course not. They were to divide the fruit of the vine. How? Most likely, this was facilitated by multiple containers.

Frederic Godet noted:

"The distribution (diamerisate) may have taken place in two ways, either by each drinking from the common cup, or by their all emptying the wine of that cup into their own. The Greek term would suit better this second view" (1879, 289).

The Cup: A Common Blessing for Many

That the term "cup" is not to be pressed as a container is evident from Paul's use of the term in one of his epistles.

During the apostle's three-and-a-half-year residence in Ephesus (Acts 19:1ff), he wrote a letter to the saints in Corinth, across the Aegean Sea some 250 miles to the west. Therein he said: "The cup [singular] of blessing which we [plural] bless" (1 Cor. 10:16).

Note the terms "cup" and "we." It is obvious that "cup" cannot refer to a container, as evidenced by the fact that Paul in Ephesus and his brethren at Corinth were sharing (note the "we") the same cup (i.e., a common substance — fruit of the vine), which reflects a spiritual idea, namely the blood of Christ and not a common container.

The Cup: A Figure of Speech Like "The Table"

Moreover, in the context just cited, just as Paul uses "cup" figuratively, so also does he employ the term "table" symbolically (1 Corinthians 10:21). It is no more logical to press the idea that cup (i.e., container) has some mystical meaning than it is to insist that the table has a spiritual significance.

Conclusion

A reasonable interpretation of the scriptural data regarding the Lord's supper suggests that using multiple containers to distribute the fruit of the vine is an optional expediency that worshipers may choose to use. This method helps accommodate larger congregations of today's church.

Creating division within the body of Christ over the number of containers needed for distributing the fruit of the vine is a serious mistake.